KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The 10th-ranked Kirkwood softball team split a doubleheader with Kansas City Community College Friday.

Isabelle True pitched a strong game as the Eagles topped Kansas City, 10-2, in the opener. She allowed only two earned runs on five hits.

Sydney Albaugh went 2-for-3 with a triple and four RBIs in the victory. Courtney Harris was 3-for-3, scored twice and had three stolen bases. Shelby Hulsebus was 3-for-4 in the leadoff spot and scored two runs. Autum Barthelman was 2-for-4 and scored twice. Angie Gorkow had two RBIs.

Gorkow and Albaugh had RBIs for Kirkwood in a 6-3 loss in the nightcap.

Luke Appel and Niko Gosnell, a pair of big men with big goals this season, sat on a bench in the hallway outside the Kirkwood locker room Thursday night and cried after an excruciating loss ended their season.

Gosnell put his hand on Appel's shoulder, trying to console his buddy, and they finally got up and disappeared inside, no doubt to shed a few more tears.

Kirkwood's goal of winning back-to-back national titles ended in the regional semifinals at Johnson Hall, but not for lack of effort or emotion.

Deundra Roberson hit a shot near the basket as time expired to snap a 74-74 tie and give 12th-ranked NIACC a devastating 76-74 victory over No. 9 Kirkwood in a tense battle marred by 45 fouls in 40 minutes of basketball.

NIACC (25-6) will face fifth-ranked DMACC (28-4) in the regional finals Saturday for a spot in the NJCAA Division II national tournament. That's where Kirkwood desperately wanted to be, but the Eagles had to settle for a 24-6 final mark.

The fourth-ranked Kirkwood women's basketball team crushed DMACC, 74-33, in the quarterfinals of the regional tournament at Johnson Hall Wednesday night.

Kirkwood (28-3) will face Southeastern (19-12) in the semifinals Saturday at 3 p.m. in Mason City. Top-ranked NIACC (30-1) will play Iowa Lakes (19-10) in the other semifinal, with the regional finals Sunday at 1 p.m. in Mason City.

Thedford shot 6-for-8 from the field and was 11-for-12 at the foul line for the Eagles. DJ Purnell collected a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Niko Gosnell added 11 points for the winners.

Kirkwood shot a sizzling 92.3 percent at the foul line, making 36 of 39.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Evan Paulus, Kyle Moeder and D'Eric Shenault belted home runs for the Kirkwood Eagles Sunday in an 18-13 loss to Johnson County in the Kansas City suburbs.

Kirkwood lost all four games to Johnson County in their first series of the 2020 campaign and was outscored, 42-19. Johnson County, which is ranked No. 14 in NJCAA Division I, raised its record to 15-1.

Paulus drove in three runs for the Eagles and Chase Moseley had two RBIs. Brook Heinen, Josh Fitzgerald, Moeder and Cade Moss had two hits. Heinen scored three runs. Fitzgerald, Joel Vaske and Paulus scored twice.

The Kirkwood Eagles know exactly what it takes to win the national title. Now the journey begins for two NJCAA crowns in a row.

The 11th-ranked Eagles whipped Iowa Central, 87-64, Saturday to finish as co-champs of the ICCAC conference and claim the No. 1 seed for the regional tournament.

Kirkwood (23-5) will host Little Priest Tribal College (6-19) in the opening round of the regional Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The regional is packed with three other ranked teams with No. 5 DMACC, No. 12 Iowa Lakes and No. 14 NIACC, so the road to nationals will not be easy. The Eagles will probably have to defeat two ranked teams to make it.

"I'm just excited. Really, really excited," said Seybian Sims, who helped the Eagles win the 2019 national title. "I think we all feel really good."

Sims enjoyed a big game Saturday. He shot 7-for-8 from the field, drained all three of his 3-pointers, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.

The Kirkwood Eagles know exactly what it takes to win the national title. Now the journey begins for two NJCAA crowns in a row.

The 11th-ranked Eagles whipped Iowa Central, 87-64, Saturday to finish as co-champs of the ICCAC conference and claim the No. 1 seed for the regional tournament.

Kirkwood (23-5) will host Little Priest Tribal College (6-19) in the opening round of the regional Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The regional is packed with three other ranked teams with No. 5 DMACC, No. 12 Iowa Lakes and No. 14 NIACC, so the road to nationals will not be easy. The Eagles will probably have to defeat two ranked teams to make it.

"I'm just excited. Really, really excited," said Seybian Sims, who helped the Eagles win the 2019 national title. "I think we all feel really good."

Sims enjoyed a big game Saturday. He shot 7-for-8 from the field, drained all three of his 3-pointers, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.

The fourth-ranked Kirkwood women's basketball team scored the first 19 points of the game Saturday afternoon and defeated Iowa Central, 66-40, in an ICCAC conference affair at Johnson Hall.

Iowa Central scored its first point on a free throw with 1:17 left in the first quarter to make it 19-1.

The Eagles finished the regular season with records of 27-3 overall and 14-2 in the conference. Kirkwood drew the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament and will host DMACC in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 7 p.m.